A Journey into Thought & Spirit

One of the best parts of summer are the roses. Seattle certainly has no shortage of roses that bud around town. From the waterfront’s Rose Garden to patches of blooms spread throughout the Queen Anne neighborhood, roses make everything nice and sweet – including your food.

Many cultures around the world use roses for culinary purposes. From the petals to its leaves, there are multiple purposes for cooking with roses.

One method to sweeten desserts, teas and coffees is by using rose sugar. I rarely use sugar for cooking, but when using small amounts every now and then, sweetening your life by nature is an indulgence that I stand behind. But, use fresh roses that are not contaminated with pesticides.

Roses have many medicinal benefits, and you’ll soon see my posts for rose water and syrup, which is an excellent addition to your health and desserts.

You can make fresh rose sugar by using several methods. In these pictures, I blended the petals and sugar in a coffee grinder. This made the sugar powdery and infused the color of the petals. (I used the same colored rose in the picture). Your sugar will result in the same color as the petals you choose. I used a coffee grinder because I wanted to use ¼ cup of sugar. I found no need to make a huge batch (to keep it as fresh as possible) and my food processor is too big for such a small amount.

Another method is to use a mortar and pestle to grind the sugar together. The color is vibrant, but the petals turn brown after 24 hours.
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As for the ratio, I chose a 1:2 rose to sugar ratio. You can certainly try a 1:1 ratio for a strong and robust flavor.

How to Make Fresh Rose Sugar
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tbsp fresh rose petals, chopped
¼ cup cane sugar

Directions:
Begin by washing the petals in cold water. Lay the petals out on a paper towel to dry.

​Cut the white ends off the base of the petals. Cut off any damaged part of the petals. Next, finely chop the petals. Place the petals and the sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor and blend for about 10-20 seconds or until the sugar is blended. Store the sugar in a sugar jar or container at room temperature.

Have you made fresh rose sugar? If so, what is your preferred method (or color)?

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Author

Elizabeth Rae Kovar M.A. is Author of her memoir, Finding Om and is a Fitness Trainer, Yogi, Reiki Master, Presenter and Lover of Life. To view her portfolio please visit www.elizabethkovar.comFollow her travels at: lemontreetravel.com